Adoption

He dreamed of having a forever family...


I found my perfect forever family.

At age 4, Ray started on a painful journey, and for the next 11 years, he was in and out of foster homes, group homes, treatment facilities, and even juvenile detention. As the years went by, his life-long dream of being adopted faded. But Ray and his case manager didn't stop believing there was a family for him.

Cole and Candas of Prescott became foster parents in 2004, opening their home to 10 foster children in the first 18 months. They got a call from Ray's case manager asking them to consider adoption. He told them about 15-year-old Ray's desire to be adopted into a Mormon family. Candas and Cole, devout Mormons, fit the profile of Ray's "perfect, forever family."

It was love at first sight. Nonetheless, the couple told Ray the ultimate decision was his. "Ray was old enough to decide if he really wanted to be adopted," said Candas. "We had spent three months together when he told us that he wanted us to be a family. It was the happiest day of our lives. We are all so grateful to Catholic Charities for bringing us together."

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